Monument record MDO2045 - Bell barrow, one of the Black Down Barrow Group, Portesham

A Bronze Age bell barrow, one of a group of potential barrows situated on Black Down. Excavated in 1955. Now the site of a gravel pit.

A probable Bronze Age bell barrow located on Black Down about 110 yards south of the Hardy Monument. It has an overall diameter of 110 feet, with a mound 80 feet in diameter and 7 feet high, partly removed on the western side by a gravel pit which revealed a turf core with gravel capping. The berm is 10 feet wide, and is surrounded by a ditch 8 feet wide and 5 feet deep. This may be the mound examined by Cunnington in 1878, who found a pit 6 feet deep and 5 feet across and containing ashes, two whetstones and flint flakes under large stones, all lying beneath a "very black part". However, Cunnington described that barrow as being 100 yards north of the Hardy Monument. There is, however, no barrow at that location. This barrow, being about the same distance south of the monument, may be the one he was referring to. Bowl barrow SY 68 NW 24 has been suggested as an alternative candidate. Further excavation of this bell barrow in 1955 revealed four Bronze Age urns, three with cremations, inserted into the top of the mound. <10> Bell barrow 110 yards south of the Monument. Overall diam 110 ft: mound 80 ft across and 7 ft high, and partly removed on west by gravel pit which revealed a turf core with gravel capping; berm 10 ft wide and ditch about 8 ft wide at the lip, 5 ft deep and narrow at the bottom. Mound possibly examined from this side by Cunnington who in 1878 dug into a damaged barrow about 100 yards "north" of the Monument and exposed a pit 6 ft deep and 5 ft across with ashes, two whetstones and flint flakes under large stones, all lying beneath a "very black part". Excavation in 1955 revealed four biconical and sub-biconical Middle Bronze Age urns, three with cremations, near the top of the mound. <6-7> The site of the barrow has been entirely destroyed by gravel extraction. Ground photo with archive report. <6> Site of a Bronze Age bell barrow, one of a group of potential barrows situated on Black Down {1} Excavated by MWT and PA for Ministry of works 1955: primary inhumation not found but inferred as having been dissolved by the acid soil. Four secondary upright LBA urns (three with burnt bones) near top of mound {2}. The post-medieval gravel pit recorded to the west of this site on the 1880 OS map has since expanded, likely having destroyed any potential remains of this feature. Fragments of a possible ring ditch (MDO24666), measuring approximately 24 metres in diameter and visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs {4}, could potentially be related to this bell barrow however. It is situated 26 metres to the north-east of the coordinates for this barrow site.

Record last edited

Jun 27 2024 10:34AM